Brother's Best Friend is Back

by Eva Luxe

  “Oh, don’t be,” Lacey said. “You want kids with Brian, don’t you?”

  Wanting to have children made it all so much easier, Lacey thought, but she didn’t say it out loud.

  Sadie nodded, but she was still crying. “Brian and I never talked about it. We probably should have, but we didn’t. I don’t know if he’ll be happy about it. We’ve both been so focused on our careers, and I’m nervous it will mess that up for us.”

  Kina shook her head. “I can tell you now, he will be thrilled for you. He’s an amazing man, and he’ll make a great father. And you’ll make a great mother. And you have all your family and friends rooting for you.”

  Sadie nodded and wiped her tears. “It was just a shock, that’s all,” she said.

  “I know what that’s like, trust me,” Lacey said.

  The door to the ladies’ room opened and Lauren appeared.

  “The men told me you guys were hiding out in here.” She was smiling, but when she looked at Sadie, her face fell. “What’s wrong? Did you guys not fix it?”

  “No, we did,” Sadie said. “I’m pregnant.”

  Her tears started rolling again. Lauren tried to look sympathetic, but she couldn’t help it. She stepped closer to Sadie and hugged her.

  “I would be lying if I told you that wasn’t great news,” she said. “I’m so happy for you!”

  “You think it’s great news?” Sadie asked Lauren. Her best friend was always supportive, but she was always honest.”

  Lauren smiled. “Of course. God, babies everywhere. It makes me feel like I need to get myself a man now, too!”

  The women laughed. After a while, they returned to the table. When Sadie sat down, Brian took her hand, turning all his attention on her.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  Sadie nodded. “This might not be the best time to tell you,” she said.

  “Tell me anyway,” he said. He wanted to know what was up with his wife. She was his world, and after their fight and her staying somewhere else, he was more aware of how blessed he was with her than ever.

  She took a deep breath.

  “I’m pregnant,” she said.

  Brian blinked at her for a moment while the news sank in. Then, he grabbed her and kissed her.

  “Did you hear that?” he asked the rest of the table. “Sadie is pregnant!”

  The only two that didn’t know were Jacob and Hanson, but everyone cheered, and Sadie laughed, blushing. She really did have the best friends, and judging by the way Brian was talking animatedly, never letting go of her hand, she knew she had been a fool to doubt if he would be happy about the news. He was an amazing husband, and now, they were going to be a family.

  And suddenly, she couldn’t wait.

  Lacey watched her friends and their husbands. They were both radiant with their pregnancies, and both men were so taken with their women, it was beautiful. She remembered when Hanson had been like that with her. And the feeling that she’d never felt before, the baby fever that she’d believed she would never get, crept up on her.

  She reached for Hanson, putting her hand on his thigh and squeezing.

  “Someone’s in a mood,” he said, leaning in and whispering in her ear.

  “In the mood to have a baby,” Lacey said.

  Hanson blinked at her. “Really?”

  Lacey smiled and nodded. “Everyone around me is pregnant. I want to have another baby. I want them all to grow up together and be friends the way we are. With so many babies and pregnant women around, I’m getting baby fever. I want to do this with you.”

  Hanson grinned before he pulled Lacey to him and kissed her.

  “Have I told you how much I love you?” he asked her.

  “Only once a day,” Lacey said, laughing.

  “Then I haven’t told you nearly enough.”

  He kissed her again.

  The three couples were beautiful together, smiling and laughing and in love. No matter what came their way, Lacey knew they would get through it. Kina and Sadie were talking about being pregnant, and the men were joking about trading beer bottles for milk bottles. It felt to her like they all went through the same things at the same time–whether it was fights or pregnancies–and because of it, they could be there for each other in a way no one else could.

  It made her happy to have a group like this, and proud to be a football wife.

  Sure, it was horrible when the men were away playing games on the road, and none of the women could go with them to spend time with the men. Yes, it was a hard life, never knowing if your man would be injured in the next game.

  But while the men were gone, doing what they loved, Lacey, Kina and Sadie were home waiting for them. They had each other, through thick and thin, and they would for a long time to come. Lacey had a glimpse into the future, their children being into sports as well, the six of them–seven with Lauren, perhaps eight if she started dating–more of a family than just friends.

  And it was beautiful. They each had amazing relationships with children and husbands that loved them, and they had a great group of friends that were there for each other, no matter what.

  Could life be any better?

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  Copyright 2017 by Juliana Conners; All Rights Reserved.

  To Matt, my partner in this crazy thing we call life.

  To Quinn, my eternal muse and Sawyer, my earthly joy.

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  Chapter 1

  Riley

  Okay, I can do this. I can have an orgasm.

  I lie back on my bed, feeling stupid. This is definitely not how I'd expected to start off my morning. But my friend Brynn had dared me to try it, after last night had turned out a lot more disappointing than I'd expected.

  I was supposed to go on a date with my boyfriend Charles but he never called. He'd been at a golf tournament with some clients of our law firm and he'd texted me at around eight o'clock p.m. to say that the "entertainment" of said clients was running late.

  So, I'd called Brynn and she'd told me come over for a bottle of merlot. Of course I went right over, since I had nothing better to do and since Brynn is my BFF. Also, because I needed wine.

  "I really thought Charles might be the one I’d lose my virginity to," I'd confessed to Brynn.

  Brynn's one of the few people who know that I still have my virginity. We've been friends for a long time and she’s never teased me about it like the few others had when they'd first found out.

  "Now I'm thinking that's a lost cause. Just like the few other boyfriends I've had, he's just not special enough. He'd rather blow me off than… let me blow him."

  Brynn had laughed and then said, "I think that's your problem, Riley. You want your first time to be so special, with 'the right guy.' You should just let loose and go with it, see what happens."

  "With Charles?" I'd asked her, scrunching u
p my nose skeptically.

  She shrugged.

  "Well, if you guys can work out whatever's been going on with you this time around, then maybe. Although, it seems like maybe you both know it's time to call it quits, but neither of you wants to be the one to push the 'End’ button."

  "Again," I’d added her to her statement. "Neither of us want to be the one to push the 'End' button once again, after we've re-started it so many times."

  Charles and I had broken up so often it wasn't even funny. I don't even know why we keep trying. Except that his dad, Jack Holt, is the founding partner of our law firm, and pressures him to stay with a "rising star" at the firm, such as myself. He thinks my ambitious attitude will rub off on his son, who would rather play video games than write briefs.

  "When I really face the truth, Charles and I are together for all the wrong reasons," I'd confessed to Brynn. "I used to think he only stayed with me because his dad wanted him to, and that's probably true. But then, why do I stay with him when he keeps ditching me for better plans? I suppose I like that the founding partner of the firm wants me to be dating his son. I'm afraid I won't be able to stand on my own two feet without him propping me up."

  "Don't be ridiculous," Brynn had said. "You've always been a straight-A student. You’ve worked so hard on all your cases and you've more than earned your place at the firm. But I think change is just hard. It's easier to stay with the wrong person than take a step to be alone or find someone better."

  "Yeah," I'd sighed, downing the rest of my wine.

  Brynn had happily poured me another glass. And that’s why I love her.

  "If you're going to break up with him, do it soon, so you can lose your virginity to someone else," Brynn then said, in her no- nonsense way. "And in the meantime, at least treat yourself to a mind-blowing orgasm."

  I'd just looked at her, before finally finding the nerve to confess a secret even worse than the fact that I'm still a virgin.

  "I… don't exactly know how to do that, either," I'd finally said.

  "What?" she'd exclaimed, her eyes growing wide. "You don't masturbate?"

  "It's not that I never have," I'd told her. "I just… haven't had the best luck so I don't get what it's all about."

  "Girl, you've got to be kidding me," she'd said, standing up.

  She went over to her bedside table, pulled something out of a drawer, and came back.

  "Here," she said, handing me a silver, egg-shaped contraction wrapped in plastic. "Don't ever say I never gave you anything."

  "What is this?"

  I'd held the egg in my hand, realizing that I had an idea what it was, but feeling rather embarrassed.

  "It's a magic bullet," she'd said. "Your own personal vibrator. Don't worry— I haven't used it. I just ordered a new one from Simple Pleasures because I wore my old one out. That’s how much I masturbate. And it’ll be hard not to have another one for a little while. But for you, I can wait and order a new one."

  "Oh, my God," I'd said, blushing. "I can't believe you just have these things laying around."

  "Whatever," she'd said, rolling her eyes at my innocence, as usual. "There are entire sex toy parties based off these things now. I'm hardly the only woman in America with a vibrator— or six— in my bedside stand."

  "Six?"

  "Riley," she'd told me, shaking her head. "Just try it. You'll love it. I promise."

  So here I am. After way too much wine and too little sleep, I'd woken up at Brynn's house at five a.m. and bolted home. I hate trying to sleep after I've had too much to drink— I always wake up early and can never go back to sleep.

  After lying down in my own bed and trying to fall back asleep for a while, I gave up. There's still half an hour before I have to start getting ready for work, so I take the "magic bullet" out of my purse and stare at it.

  This is really it. My first orgasm. Here it comes.

  I lie back on my pillow and spread my legs. I hit the "on" switch and put the vibrator up to my clit.

  Mmmmm. That does feel good…

  It hums against me, cold and metallic as it works its magic. I suppose it’s aptly named. I still feel silly getting so up close and personal with an inanimate object. I decide to think about Charles.

  But I can't. After trying to picture him, all I can think of is the text he’d sent me last night, which had let me know once again exactly how unimportant I am to him. Not to mention the fact that he’d never followed up with another text.

  How I wish I could be with a different guy— one who appreciates me and who wants me to be pleasured. Not just someone who is with me because his dad wants him to be. Because he's used to life being handed to him on a silver platter and to doing whatever Daddy wants, to make Daddy happy and his own life easier.

  I can't think about that right now, though. I have an orgasm to accomplish.

  Instead, I try to conjure up images of celebrities I think are hot. Muscular, toned guys— strong and courageous and not afraid to take risks. The exact opposite of Charles.

  Finally, I feel a tingling down below. It feels like a small current of electricity. I draw my breath in, waiting for something more.

  But nothing else comes.

  I stop the vibrator.

  Was that it?

  Damn it. I don’t even know.

  I was expecting erupting fireworks, but that was just a little fizz.

  I should keep going. Try again.

  I know that if Brynn was here she'd be saying, "Don't give up. You deserve this."

  But it's time to get ready for work. At least I felt something. It was a step in the right direction.

  I wash the vibrator and open the drawer of my bathroom sink to put it away. I place it inside an old makeup bag that has a bright red and turquoise elephant print on it, and then, just for good measure, I cover it up with a tin box that holds barrettes. If for some reason any guest ever needs to use this bathroom, hopefully they’ll never find my dirty little secret.

  I'll have to try it again another time. Maybe it's one of those things I'll get better at with practice.

  For now, it's time to go to work, and see Charles, and start dealing with things I'm not sure I'm ready to deal with.

  The tough guys I was thinking of just a moment ago are only for fantasy. My real life awaits.

  Chapter 2

  Riley

  When I get to work, Charles is nowhere to be found. I try to nonchalantly meander on over to his office to look for him, but a fellow associate named Trina stops me before I can even get there.

  "Looking for Charles?" she asks, grinning.

  Damn it.

  She is so not the person I want to see right now. She's always had a crush on Charles and I'm sure she's taking great pleasure in the fact that I'm unsuccessfully trying to track him down.

  "I just needed to talk to him about a case," I say quickly, defensively, as if I had indeed seen or at least spoken to my boyfriend last night as planned, and just need to talk business this morning.

  "I see," she says, raising a perfectly plucked eyebrow to show she doesn't believe me. "Well, I doubt he'll be in any time before noon. We had quite the night last night."

  "You—?"

  I trail off, trying not to sound surprised.

  What is she talking about?

  "Oh yeah, after the Westin Invitational— it's a shame you don't golf, by the way; it's a great way for female associates to be able to woo clients just like the male associates do, and there are some real hotties on the course as well— we took some clients to Closed Door."

  She laughs, as if she had just told me that she and my boyfriend had taken clients shopping at Walmart, rather than to the seediest strip club in town.

  "Oh, he didn't tell you?" she asks, with pity, reading the look on my face.

  From the way she’s smirking at me, I can tell she suspected I didn’t know, and that she’s happy to have her suspicions confirmed.

  "I—"

  I begin, but I don't really h
ave anything to say. I'm completely taken off guard.

  "It's okay," she says, her lip pouting as if trying to be friendly. "I know a lot of— girlfriends— is that what you still are to him?— aren't into the strip club scene so he probably didn't want to hurt your feelings and tell you. I left at about midnight because I had to finish up the Colvert case briefing but he was still partying hard with a few of the clients and a lot of the dancers. That's why I'm betting he won't be in any time soon. Not that he has to— being the boss' son and all, you know?"

  "Thanks for letting me know," I tell her, as if I'm truly grateful when clearly I'm not.

  I'm about to tell her I have a lot to do this morning anyway, so I'll just catch him this afternoon. But suddenly it hits me. I'm sick of taking crap from other people about my "relationship" with Charles.

  "I'm sure his dad will be happy to hear that you guys were keeping the clients entertained," I tell her, with a grin as fake as the one she was just flashing at me.

  "Oh, I don't think there's any reason to fill him in on that," she says, with a nervous giggle.

  Jack Holt likes when his son entertains clients but there’s no doubt he wouldn’t approve of the strip club aspect of last night’s entertainment. He’s notorious for saying his son lacks judgment and decency sometimes. Trina and I both know that Jack would not be happy to hear about their exploits last night.

  As if on cue, Jack’s secretary Cindy rounds the corner. Jack Holt has assistants that will track down anyone he needs, at any time, but when Cindy—who has been with him for over twenty years and is his main secretary who can’t usually be bothered to do such dirty work— is looking for an associate, we know it’s serious business.

  "Oh, there you are, Riley," she says, shaking her head nervously. "Mr. Holt has been looking for you. He would like to talk to you in Conference Room B."

  Trina looks scared, so I wink at her, as if to tell her I'll be filling in Mr. Holt on everything.